Abstract:
Chili (Capsicum annuum L.) belonging to family Solanaceae, that originated in Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America) and South America and is now cultivated worldwide. It is one of the most economically important horticultural crops in the world. Abiotic stress is the primary cause of crop loss worldwide. Among the abiotic stresses, drought stress is one of the most important environmental factors. Drought, a period of abnormally dry weather, results in soil-water deficit and subsequently plant-water deficit. Water deficit, is defined as the absence of adequate moisture necessary for a plant to grow normally. Seed priming is a technique used to enhance seed performance by hydrating and drying them before germination. Seed priming has become a crucial method for alleviating the impact of abiotic stress, particularly in chilli cultivation. The aim of present study is to determine the adverse effects of water stress of different durations on the growth and biochemical properties of Capsicum annuumvarieties (V1 (Sky Star 4 F1) & V2 (SV 786 4HM)) by using primed seeds with polyethylene glycol 6000 (5% PEG) and Gibberellic acid (GA3 5mg/L). The unprimed and primed seeds were subjected to 1-, 2- and 3-days drought stress over 3 weeks. The results showed that the germination percentage of primed seeds significantly improved compared to unprimed seeds; seeds germinated quickly and had a higher whole plant length, shoot length, root length, shoot fresh & dry weight, and root fresh & dry weight especially for seeds primed with PEG and GA3. Gibberellic acid (GA3 5mg/L) treated seedlings showed much greater whole plant length, shoot length, root length, shoot fresh & dry weight, and root fresh & dry weight than PEG priming treatments and unprimed. Consequently, the priming treatment with PEG and GA3 resulted in higher chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, Peroxidase (POD), Superoxide Dismutase(SOD), Catalase (CAT), than unprimed. GA3 seedlings showed higher chlorophyll a and b, SOD, CAT and POD and all other treatments. VarietyV2(SV 786 4HM) outperformed the variety V1(Sky Star 4 F1) and control treatment. In result, seed priming with GA3 and PEG significantly modified the growth and biochemical properties of chilli (Capsicum annum L.).
Page(s):
74-74
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: 1st International Conference on "Recent Advances in Green Biotechnology and Climate Resilience", September 15-16, 2025, Volume: 1, Issue: 1, Year: 2025